The Hindu Business Line : Does gender really matter?

The New Woman is independent, confident and assertive, finding satisfaction in the world of work and recreation, seeking excitement, adventure and fulfilment. The New Man loves designer wear, is seen just as often near a catwalk as competing in a sport, confesses adulation for Shakira, decorates his house and even changes nappies.

Changing lifestyles, changing stereotypes.

Anisha Motwani

The concept of masculinity and femininity is changing at a scorching pace as the lady is becoming bolder and the gentleman is gearing up to look beautiful. All around us we are witnessing a blurring of the traditional ideals of the two genders, characterised by a transgression into each others’ domain.

Enter the New Man: He loves designer wear, is seen just as often near a catwalk as competing in a sport, confesses adulation for Shakira, decorates his house and even changes nappies. He’s spending his time differently - not only occupying more of it in front of the mirror but also shopping at boutique stores, drinking at bars rather than pubs, enjoying a dance at a discotheque and going to beauty salons. In fact, new terms have been coined to describe these people – metrosexual, ubersexual, and so on.

For decades, Mills & Boons perpetuated the traditional ideals of masculinity and portrayed men as active, adventurous, powerful, sexually aggressive and uninvolved in human relationships.

For years, macho men were straitjacketed in traditional expectations of the dark, strong, silent types and were forced to keep their emotions under wraps for the fear of being ostracised from their conventional domain.

It is only now that the image of the sensitive new man has emerged with a sanction to showcase his gentle and caring side, and is officially allowed to invest emotionally in relationships.

What drives the change?

Why are we witnessing this mindset change? What are the drivers of this behaviour? There are a few theories floating around on the subject. One of them concerns women – more specifically, the changing role of women in society. With the changing reality of women’s social position, women today have successfully stormed bastions of male power. As the presence of women has increased in men’s social and working lives - as their rights have been belatedly recognised - men have changed the way they act. Women have pushed for equal rights; the success of that push has been the single most significant contributor to the emergence of the ‘New Man.’

The economic motivation because of her enhanced purchasing power has fuelled the emergence, albeit grudgingly, of the ‘New Woman.’ The New Woman is independent, confident and assertive, finding satisfaction in the world of work and recreation, seeking excitement, adventure and fulfilment, a distinct change from her earlier image of a passive, submissive, and marginal performer of a limited number of secondary and uninteresting tasks confined to their emotion and their domesticity.

What does this mean for marketers?

What implications do these trends have for marketers, products and brands? With gender being the most common form of segmenting and targeting used by marketers in general and advertisers in particular, the blurring of boundaries is posing its own set of challenges.

John Gray’s bestselling book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, reminds us that the fundamental gender differences in attitudes and behaviour are biologically inherent. For example, at the risk of generalising, while wo men prefer lighter shades like pink and curvy lines, men prefer darker shades such as black and straight lines. While men get turned on by machines and gadgets, for women it is about looking and feeling good.

For categories predominantly used by one of the sexes, the gender choice when it comes to product development and communication is relatively simpler. It is a matter of keeping abreast of the latest trends in the dominant gender. The strategy is driven by insights emerging from a deeper understanding of the gender. For example, Raymond has kept itself relevant even today by continuously evolving its portrayal of the man. Chevrolet Optra’s famous ‘Karva Chauth’ ad owes its success to the understanding of the gentle, caring side of man. Gillette’s communication of the ‘soft, smooth skin’ benefit, up until now understood as a woman’s need, is also stemming from this evolving trend.

Advertising for women has also moved from objectifying women’s bodies to portraying a more progressive image of women. These images now show women at work, adopting a male role, working as an equal alongside or even on the frontline. Categories such as fairness cream, refrigerators and washing machines, to name a few, have successfully depicted facets of the evolving New Woman.

Challenges galore

But when you are a marketer of a brand being consumed equally by both the sexes, it could become a challenge answering some of the typical marketing questions. Or when the product is gaining acceptance at a fast pace amongst the other sex. Whom do you cater to - men or women or both?

Many marketers are facing this dilemma today with a lot of products traditionally in the domain of one of the sexes gaining substantial acceptance amongst the opposite sex as well. Entry-level cars, mobile phones, jeans, healthcare products, sunglasses, insurance products and cosmetic brands, to name a few categories, are catering equally to men and women. Would gender then be a viable basis for segmentation?

While most personal care products have created differentiation at the product stage through variants and line extensions (for example, Clinic All Clear Dandruff shampoo, Emami fairness cream, Nivea and Polo have variants for men and women), the challenge still remains in ensuring a brand ethos which is all encompassing and not influenced by gender.

However, categories such as cars, mobile phones and insurance do not divide consumers into demographic groups when creating a product, at least not in the traditional sense. Every product is supposed to perform a role in the lives of the consumers. The role comes from the need(s) that the product is expected to satisfy. Hence, it makes a sense to segregate consumers on the basis of needs. Every human being, male or female, is first an individual having his/her own special needs.

Take, for example, cars. A lot of people would assume it to be a men’s machine. With an increasing number of working women, it is as much a transport need for them as it is for men. Walk into any parking lot or hot spot today and you will see an equal number of women driving cars. The need that the car is satisfying is that of a progressive lifestyle of the individual, be it a man or a woman.

One can observe a similar story with mobile phones. The need that the mobile phone is satisfying, in this case, is that of a big screen with a lot of features, such as music, which makes it a unisex product.

The important thing to remember is that in today’s competitive, ever-changing environment, business must be keenly aware of the emerging trends to create successful products that meet and exceed consumer needs and expectations. It is essential to stay close to the consumer to learn what is influencing them.

(The writer is Director - Marketing, General Motors India.)